Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. This
policy affects decisions including, but not limited to: recruitment, screening and hiring,
compensation and administration of benefits, training, development, transfer, promotion,
termination, layoff, recall and all other terms and conditions of employment. Our employment
practices are without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, marital
status, pregnancy, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other legally protected status in
accordance with applicable local, state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
BBBS of the Bluegrass is committed to providing reasonable accommodation where necessary,
feasible and required by applicable law. Employees seeking an accommodation must bring their
request to their immediate supervisor.
HARASSMENT
BBBS of the Bluegrass strives to create a work environment where all individuals are treated
fairly, with respect, and where personnel decisions are clearly made on the bases of job
qualifications and merit. BBBS of the Bluegrass is committed to creating and maintaining a
work environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, veteran
status, national origin, or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable local,
state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
In keeping with this commitment, we will not tolerate any form of harassment against our
employees by an employee, volunteer, vendor, supplier, service person or any other person in
connection with employment at BBBS of the Bluegrass.
Harassment includes any unwelcome physical, verbal and visual conduct that serves to put down,
show hostility or aversion toward an individual due to their protected status listed above and that
creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, unreasonably interferes with an
individual’s job performance or adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities.
Examples of harassment may include, but are not limited to, the use of insulting epithets or
nicknames, slurs or negative stereotyping; derogatory jokes or comments, the display of insulting
or offensive cartoons, pictures, slogans or symbols; intimidation through physical violence or
threats of violence and the transmission or circulation/posting of sexually suggestive, derogatory
or offense materials through computers, or accessing such information on the Internet. Such
behavior is unacceptable in the workplace and in other work-related settings such as business
trips, conferences, meetings and business related social events.
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Revised 6/2001 Reviewed 4/2003
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Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
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SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving unwelcome sexual attention, sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors and other unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct of a
sexual nature directed at an individual because of gender and which interferes with an
individual’s work performance, creates an intimidating hostile or offensive work environment, is
used as a basis for employment decisions or is explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of
employment. It can involve inappropriate conduct initiated by males or females directed towards
a person of the opposite or same sex.
Sexual harassment may include, but is not limited to: sexual innuendoes, suggestive comments,
jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks, commentary about an individual’s
body, leering, whistling or touching; hugging or cornering; insulting or obscene comments or
gestures; display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures.
REPORTING DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT
In order to create and maintain a discrimination and harassment-free environment, employees
who have been subject to prohibited discrimination or harassment, have witnessed or have been
told of possible discrimination or harassment, and supervisors and managers aware of possible
discrimination or harassment, are responsible to immediately report the incident to the Executive
Director, Program Director or Board President. Employees have a multitude of avenues to file
complaints.
Allegations and complaints are investigated thoroughly and promptly to obtain sufficient
information. BBBS of the Bluegrass will make every effort to be sensitive to privacy issues of
all involved. In the course of an investigation relevant information will be discussed with
appropriate parties on a need-to-know basis and handled as confidentially as possible.
Established incidents of discrimination or harassment by any employee will result in appropriate
corrective action up to and including possible termination of employment.
Any individual who makes unwelcome advances, threatens or in any way harasses another
employee is personally liable for such actions and their consequences. BBBS of the Bluegrass is
not obligated to provide legal or financial assistance to an individual subject to or accused of
harassment if a legal complaint is filed. Any supervisor or manager who has knowledge of
discriminatory of harassing behavior yet takes no action to end it is also subject to corrective
action.
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Revised 6/2001 Reviewed 4/2003
BBBS of the Bluegrass
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
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PROHIBITION AGAINST RETALIATION
Employees who bring a discrimination or harassment complaint in good faith, without malice
and in accordance with policy, will not be subject to any adverse employment action, regardless
of whether the complaint is ultimately determined to have merit. Any employee who knowingly
makes a false accusation of harassment or retaliation will be subject to appropriate corrective
action up to and including possible termination of employment. Any employee, including
supervisors and managers, who retaliates against another employee for making a complaint of
discrimination or harassment will be subject to corrective action up to and including possible
termination of employment. Allegations or complaints regarding possible retaliation should be
reported to management using the reporting procedure set forth above.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
BBBS of the Bluegrass provides and maintains electronic communication systems to assist
employees in their work. These communication systems are primarily for business use.
Occasional, appropriate instances of personal use are permitted. However, any inappropriate or
habitual use or use which interferes with the effective operation of BBBS of the Bluegrass is
prohibited. Computers, computer files network servers, e-mail systems, internet searches, voicemail systems and software as well as information stored, downloaded, transmitted, received, or
contained in such systems are BBBS of the Bluegrass property, and intended for business use.
BBBS of the Bluegrass reserves the right at any time to access or monitor such systems. No
individual user shall have any expectation of privacy from such access or monitoring.
Prohibited use of e-mail includes, but is not limited to soliciting personal business; for political
or religious causes; or transmission of jokes. Information, which is discriminatory, defamatory,
obscene, indecent, offensive, harassing, or which discloses personal information about others is
prohibited. Employees should not transmit anything in an e-mail message that they would not
communicate verbally or in writing. Even when a message is erased it is still possible to retrieve
and read that message; the confidentiality of any message cannot be assumed. Further, the use of
passwords for security does not guarantee confidentiality. This portion of the policy applies to
employees utilizing personal computers for work-related reasons. Violations of this policy will
result in appropriate corrective action up to and including possible termination of employment.
Document1
Revised 6/2001 Reviewed 4/2003